bus 188 cases fall 2007 mike splane. chapter 1 information systems in business

BUS 188 Cases

Fall 2007

Mike Splane

Chapter 1

INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN BUSINESS

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSApple - Merging Technology, Business and Entertainment

1. What might have happened to Apple if its top executives had not supported investment in iPods?

2. Formulate a strategy for how Apple can use efficiency IT metrics to improve its business

3. Formulate a strategy for how Apple can use effectiveness IT metrics to improve its business

4. Why would it be unethical for Apple to sell its iTunes customer information to other businesses?

5. Evaluate the effects on Apple’s business if it failed to secure its customer’s information and it was accidentally posted to an anonymous Web site

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSApple - Merging Technology, Business and Entertainment

6. Did Apple gain a competitive advantage from its decision to invest in an online music business?

7. How can Apple use environmental scanning to gain business intelligence?

8. Using Porter’s Five Force Model, analyze Apple’s buyer power and supplier power

9. Which of the three generic strategies is Apple following?

10. Which of Porter’s Five Forces did Apple address through its introduction of the iPod?

CLOSING CASE ONESay “Charge It” with Your Cell Phone

1. Do you view this technology as a potential threat to traditional telephone companies? If so, what counterstrategies could traditional telephone companies adopt to prepare for this technology?

2. Using Porter’s Five Forces describe the barriers to entry for this new technology

CLOSING CASE ONESay “Charge It” with Your Cell Phone

3. Which of Porter’s three generic strategies is this new technology following?

4. Describe the value chain of using cell phones as a payment method

5. What types of regulatory issues might occur due to this type of technology?

CLOSING CASE TWOInnovative Business Managers

1. Choose one of the companies listed above and explain how it could use a CIO, CTO, and CPO to improve business

2. Why is it important for all of DreamWorks’ functional business areas to work together? Provide an example of what might happen if the DreamWorks marketing department failed to work with its sales department

3. Why is information technology important to an organization like the Boston Red Sox? Every organization needs information to remain

CLOSING CASE TWOInnovative Business Managers

4. Which of Porter’s Five Forces is most important to Home Depot’s business?

5. Which of the three generic strategies is PepsiCo following?

6. Explain the value chain and how a company like GE can use it to improve operations

CLOSING CASE THREEThe World is Flat – Thomas Friedman

1. Do you agree or disagree with Friedman’s assessment that the world is flat? Be sure to justify your answer

2. What are the potential impacts of a flat world for a student performing a job search?

3. What can students do to prepare themselves for competing in a flat world?

4. Identify a current flattener not mentioned on Friedman’s list

CHAPTER 2

STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING

Opening Case Revving Up Sales at Harley-Davidson

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSRevving Up Sales at Harley-Davidson

1. How does Talon help Harley-Davidson employees improve their decision-making capabilities?

2. Identify a few key metrics a Harley-Davidson marketing executive might want to monitor on a digital dashboard

3. How can Harley-Davidson benefit from using decision support systems in its business

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSRevving Up Sales at Harley-Davidson

4. Evaluate the HOG CRM strategy and recommend an additional benefit Harley-Davidson could provide to its HOG members to increase customer satisfaction

5. Describe how Harley-Davidson’s SCM system, Manugistics, could improve its business operations

6. Provide an illustration of Harley-Davidson’s SCM system including all upstream and downstream participants

CLOSING CASE ONEConsolidating Touchpoints for Saab

1. How has implementing a CRM system enabled Saab to gain a competitive advantage?

2. Estimate the potential impact to Saab’s business if it had not implemented a CRM system

3. What additional benefits could Saab receive from implementing a supply chain management system?

CLOSING CASE ONEConsolidating Touchpoints for Saab

4. Model Saab’s supply chain

5. How is Saab’s CRM implementation going to influence its SCM practices?

CLOSING CASE TWOMade-to-Order Businesses

1. What role does supply chain management and customer relationship management play in a mass customization business strategy?

2. How can Lands’ End use its CRM system to improve its business?

3. How can Nike use a CRM system to improve its customer relations?

4. Why is Nike’s supply chain management system critical to its Nike iD order fulfillment process?

CLOSING CASE TWOMade-to-Order Businesses

5. Choose one of the examples above and explain how an ERP system could help facilitate the mass customization effort

6. Choose one of the examples above and explain how the company is attempting to gain a competitive advantage with mass customization

7. Identify one other business that could benefit from the use of mass customization. Explain why this business would need customer relationship management and supply chain management systems to implement a mass customization business strategy

CLOSING CASE THREEDelta Airlines Plays Catch-Up

1. What business risks would Delta be taking if it decided not to catch up with industry leaders in using IT to gain a competitive advantage?

2. What competitive advantages can an airline gain by using DSS and EIS?

3. What other industries could potentially benefit from the use of yield management systems?

CLOSING CASE THREEDelta Airlines Plays Catch-Up

4. How can American and United use customer information to gain a competitive?

5. What types of metrics would Delta executives want to see in a digital dashboard?

6. How could Delta use supply chain management to improve its operations?

Chapter 3

E-BUSINESS

Opening Case

Amazon.com – Not Your Average

Bookstore

CHAPTER 3

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSAmazon

1. How has Amazon used technology to revamp the bookselling industry?

2. Is Amazon using disruptive or sustaining technology to run its business?

3. How is Amazon using intranets and extranets to run its business?

4. How could Amazon use kiosks to improve its business?

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSAmazon

5. What is Amazon’s e-business model?

6. How can Amazon use m-commerce to influence its business?

7. Which metrics could Amazon use to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of Amazon’s Web site?

8. What are some of the business challenges facing Amazon?

CLOSING CASE ONEeBay – The Ultimate E-Business

1. eBay is one of the only major Internet “pure plays” to consistently make a profit from its inception. What is eBay’s e-business model and why has it been so successful?

2. Other major Web sites, like Amazon.com and Yahoo!, have entered the e-marketplace with far less success than eBay. How has eBay been able to maintain its dominant position

3. eBay has long been an e-marketplace for used goods and collectibles. Today, it is increasingly a place where major businesses come to auction their wares. Why would a brand name vendor set up shop on eBay?

CLOSING CASE ONEeBay – The Ultimate E-Business

4. What are the three different types of online auctions and which one is eBay using?

5. What are the different forms of online payment methods for consumers and business? How might eBay’s customers benefit from the different payment methods?

6. Which metrics would you use if you were hired to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of eBay’s Web site?

CLOSING CASE TWODirect Groceries

1. What type of technology is FreshDirect using—disruptive or sustaining?

2. How could FreshDirect use a kiosk to improve its business?

3. How could FreshDirect use m-commerce to improve its business?

CLOSING CASE TWODirect Groceries

4. What are the three different types of service providers and which one would FreshDirect use to run its business?

5. What types of information would be contained in FreshDirect’s intranet?

6. What types of information would be contained in FreshDirect’s extranet?

7. Which metrics would you use if you were hired to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of FreshDirect’s Web site?

CLOSING CASE THREEHow Do You Value Friendster?

1. How could you use e-business metrics to place a value on Friendster?

2. Why would a venture capital company value Friendster at $53 million when the company has yet to generate any revenue?

3. Why would Google be interested in buying Friendster for $30 million when the company has yet to generate any revenue

4. Identify Friendster’s e-business model and explain how the company can generate revenue

5. Explain the e-business benefits and challenges facing Friendster

Chapter 4

ETHICS AND

INFORMATION SECURITY

Opening Case

Sarbanes-Oxley: Where Information Technology, Finance, and Ethics Meet

CHAPTER 4

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSSarbanes-Oxley

1. Define the relationship between ethics and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

2. Why is records management an area of concern for the entire organization and not just the IT department?

3. Identify two policies an organization can implement to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance?


4. What ethical dilemmas are being solved by implementing Sarbanes-Oxley?

5. What is the biggest roadblock for organizations that are attempting to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance?


6. What information security dilemmas are being solved by implementing Sarbanes-Oxley?

7. How can Sarbanes-Oxley help protect a company’s information security?

8. What impact does implementing Sarbanes-Oxley have on information security in a small business?

9. What is the biggest information security roadblock for organizations attempting to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance?

CLOSING CASE ONEBanks Banking on Security

1. What reason would a bank have for not wanting to adopt an online-transfer delay policy?

2. What are the two primary lines of security defense and why are they important to financial institutions?

3. Explain the differences between the types of security offered by the banks in the case

CLOSING CASE ONEBanks Banking on Security

4. What additional types of security, not mentioned in the case above, would you recommend a bank implement?

5. Identify three policies a bank should implement to help it improve information security

6. Describe monitoring policies along with the best way for a bank to implement monitoring technologies

CLOSING CASE TWOHacker Hunters

1. What types of technology could big retailers use to prevent identity thieves from purchasing merchandise?

2. What can organizations do to protect themselves from hackers looking to steal account data?

3. Authorities frequently tap online service providers to track down hackers. Do you think it is ethical for authorities to tap an online service provider and read people’s e-mail? Why or why not?

CLOSING CASE TWOHacker Hunters

4. Do you think it was ethical for authorities to use one of the high-ranking officials to trap other gang members? Why or why not?

5. In a team, research the Internet and find the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft

CLOSING CASE THREEThinking Like the Enemy

1. How could an organization benefit from attending one of the courses offered at the Intense School?

2. What are the two primary lines of security defense and how can organizational employees use the information taught by the Intense School when drafting an information security plan?

3. Determine the difference between the two primary courses offered at the Intense school, “Professional Hacking Boot Camp” and “Social Engineering in Two Days.” Which course is more important for organizational employees to attend?

CLOSING CASE THREEThinking Like the Enemy

4. If your employer sent you to take a course at the Intense School, which one would you choose and why?

5. What are the ethical dilemmas involved with having such a course offered by a private company?

CHAPTER 5

IT ARCHITECTURES

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSElectronic Breaking Points

1. Identify six hardware categories and place each product listed in the case in its appropriate category

2. Describe the CPU and identify which products would use a CPU

3. Describe the relationship between memory sticks and laptops. How can a user employ one to help protect information loss from the other?

4. What different types of software might each of the products listed in the case use?

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSElectronic Breaking Points

5. How can an organization use an information architecture to protect its IT investment in electronic devices outlined in the case?

6. How can an organization use the devices mentioned in the case to protect information security?

7. Identify the five ilites and rank them in order of importance for a laptop (1 highest, 5 lowest)

8. Describe how a “Customer Phone Number” Web service could be used by one of the products outlined in the case

CLOSING CASE ONEChicago Tribune

1. Review the five characteristics of infrastructure architecture and rank them in order of their potential impact on the Tribune Co.’s business

2. What is the disaster recovery cost curve? Where should the Tribune Co. operate on the curve?

3. Define backups and recovery. What are the risks to the Tribune’s business if it fails to implement an adequate backup plan?

CLOSING CASE ONEChicago Tribune

4. Why is a scalable and highly available enterprise architecture critical to the Tribune Co.’s current operations and future growth?

5. Identify the need for information security at the Tribune Co.

6. How could the Tribune Co. use a classified ad Web service across its different businesses?

CLOSING CASE TWOUPS in the Computer Repair

Business1. Do you think UPS’s entrance into the laptop repair business was a good business decision? Why or why not?

2. Identify the different types of hardware UPS technicians might be working on when fixing laptops

3. Assume you are a technician working at UPS. Explain to a customer the different types of memory and why only certain types of data are lost during a computer failure. Also identify a potential backup strategy you can suggest to the customer

4. Assume you are a technician working at UPS. Explain to a customer the different types of software found in a typical laptop

CLOSING CASE THREEFear the Penguin

1. How does Linux differ from traditional software?

2. Should Microsoft consider Linux a threat? Why or why not?

3. How is open source software a potential trend shaping organizations?

CLOSING CASE THREE Fear the Penguin

4. How can you use Linux as an emerging technology to gain a competitive advantage?

5. Research the Internet and discover potential ways that Linux might revolutionize business in the future

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSChapter 6 Google

1. How did the Web site RateMyProfessors.com solve its problem of low-quality information?

2. Review the five common characteristics of high-quality information and rank them in order of importance to Google’s business

3. What would be the ramifications to Google’s business if the search information it presented to its customers was of low quality?

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSGoogle

4. Describe the different types of databases. Why should Google use a relational database?

5. Identify the different types of entity, entity classes, attributes, keys, and relationships that might be stored in Google’s AdWords relational database

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSGoogle

6. How could Google use a data warehouse to improve its business operations?

7. Why would Google need to scrub and cleanse the information in its data warehouse?

8. Identify a data mart that Google’s marketing and sales department might use to track and analyze its AdWords revenue

CLOSING CASE ONEFishing for Quality

1. Explain the importance of high-quality information for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

2. Review the five common characteristics of high quality information and rank them in order of importance for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

3. How could data warehouses and data marts be used to help the Alaska Department of Fish and Game improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations?

CLOSING CASE ONEFishing for Quality

4. What two data marts might the Alaska Department of Fish and Game want to build to help it analyze its operational performance?

5. Do the managers at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game actually have all of the information they require to make an accurate decision? Explain the statement “it is never possible to have all of the information required to make the best decision possible”

CLOSING CASE TWOMining the Data Warehouse

1. Explain how Ben & Jerry’s is using business intelligence tools to remain successful and competitive in a saturated market

2. Identify why information cleansing and scrubbing is critical to California Pizza Kitchen’s business intelligence tool’s success

CLOSING CASE TWOMining the Data Warehouse

3. Illustrate why 100 percent accurate and complete information is impossible for Noodles & Company to obtain

4. Describe how each of the companies above is using BI from their data warehouse to gain a competitive advantage

4. Estimate the potential impact to Harrah’s business if there is a security breach in its customer information

5. Identify three different types of data marts Harrah’s might want to build to help it analyze its operational performance

CLOSING CASE THREE Harrah’s

6. What might occur if Harrah’s fails to clean or scrub its information before loading it into its data warehouse?

7. Describe cluster analysis, association detection, and statistical analysis and explain how Harrah’s could use each one to gain insights into its business

CLOSING CASE THREE Harrah’s

CHAPTER 7• NETWORKS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND

WIRELESS COMPUTING

• Opening Case• The Digital Hospital

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSThe Digital Hospital

1. Explain how hospitals are using telecommunication and network technologies to improve their operations

2. Describe the two different types of network architectures and identify which one Hackensack University Medical Center is using

3. Explain TCP/IP and the role it plays in Hackensack University Medical Center’s IT projects

4. Identify a new telecommunication or network product that Hackensack University Medical Center could use to improve its operations

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSThe Digital Hospital

5. Why is real-time information important to hospitals?

6. How is Hackensack University Medical Center using wireless technology to improve its operations?

7. Identify three wireless technologies that are changing the way businesses operate and explain how hospitals can use these technologies to improve their operations

CLOSING CASE ONETracking Students

1. Explain the fundamentals of RFID and how it is being used to track students

2. Describe the ethical dilemmas involved with tracking students with RFID

3. Identify two types of wireless business opportunities schools could take advantage of to help improve operations

CLOSING CASE ONETracking Students

4. How could RFID help schools deal with potential security issues?

5. Develop a Bluetooth, GPS, or satellite product that schools could use to improve operations

6. Determine a way that schools could use RFID tags without violating privacy rights

CLOSING CASE TWOUPS versus FedEx

1. Explain the fundamentals of wireless fidelity

2. Describe the differences between UPS and FedEx’s use of wi-fi

3. Identify two types of wireless business opportunities the companies could use to gain a competitive advantage

CLOSING CASE TWOUPS versus FedEx

4. How could RFID could help the companies deal with potential security issues?

5. Develop a Bluetooth, GPS, or satellite product that the parcel delivery business could use to improve efficiencies

CLOSING CASE THREEPrada

1. Would you consider Prada’s use of technology cutting-edge? Why or why not?

2. Prada’s attempt to use RFID to check inventory in real time failed because of the staff’s refusal to use the system. What could Prada have done to make the implementation of RFID successful?

3. Identify an additional strategic use of RFID for Prada’s high-tech store

CLOSING CASE THREEPrada

4. What should Prada do differently when designing its next store to ensure its success?

5. Identify a new use of wireless technology for Prada’s next store

CHAPTER 8

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSDell’s Famous Supply Chain

1. How might Dell use each of the five basic SCM components?

2. How had Dell influenced visibility, consumer behavior, competition, and speed though the use of IT in its supply chain?

3. Explain the seven principles of SCM in reference to Dell’s business model

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSDell’s Famous Supply Chain

4. Identify the four primary drivers of SCM and explain how Dell uses each one to gain efficiency or effectiveness in its supply chain

5. Choose one of the fast growth SCM components and explain how Dell can use it to increase business operations

6. What is RFID and how could Dell use the technology to improve its supply chain?

CLOSING CASE ONEBudNet

1. How can an SCM system help a distributor such as Anheuser-Busch make its supply chain more effective and efficient?

2. SCM is experiencing explosive growth. Explain why this statement is true using BudNet as an example

3. Evaluate BudNet’s effect on each of the five factors that are driving SCM success

4. List and describe the components of a typical supply chain along with its ability to help Budweiser make effective decisions

CLOSING CASE TWOListerine’s Journey

1. Summarize SCM and describe Warner-Lambert’s supply chain strategy. Diagram the SCM components

2. Detail Warner-Lambert’s facilities strategy

3. Detail Warner-Lambert’s inventory strategy

CLOSING CASE TWOListerine’s Journey

4. What would happen to Warner-Lambert’s business if a natural disaster in Saudi Arabia depletes its natural gas resources?

5. Assess the impact to Warner-Lambert’s business if the majority of the eucalyptus crop was destroyed in a natural disaster

6. Detail Warner-Lambert’s information strategy

CLOSING CASE THREELevi’s

1. How did Levi Strauss achieve business success through the use of supply chain management?

2. What might have happened to Levi’s if its top executives had not supported investments in SCM?

3. David Bergen, Levi’s CIO, put together a cross-functional team of key managers from IT, finance, and sales to transform Levi’s systems to meet Wal-Mart’s requirements. Analyze the relationships between these three business areas and SCM systems. How can an SCM system help support these three critical business areas?

CLOSING CASE THREELevi’s

4. Describe the five basic SCM components in reference to Wal-Mart’s business model

5. Explain RFID and provide an example of how Levi’s could use the technology to increase its business operations

CHAPTER 9

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSCustomer First Awards

1. Summarize the evolution of CRM and provide an example of a reporting, analyzing, and predicting question Progressive might ask its customers

2. How could Progressive’s marketing department use CRM technology to improve its operations?

3. How could Mini’s sales department use CRM technology to improve its operations?


4. How could Progressive and Mini’s customer service departments use CRM technology to improve their operations?

5. Define analytical CRM and its importance to companies like Progressive and Mini


6. How might Progressive’s business model change if it decreased its investments in CRM technologies?

7. How might Mini’s business model change if it decreased its investments in CRM technologies?

8. Describe the CRM industry best practices and explain how Progressive is using each


9. Explain SRM and how Mini could use it to improve its business

10. Explain ERM and how Progressive could use it to improve its business

CLOSING CASE ONEFighting Cancer with Information

1. How could the ACS’s marketing department use operational CRM to strengthen its relationships with its customers?

2. How could the ACS’s customer service department use operational CRM to strengthen its relationships with its customers?

3. Review all of the operational CRM technologies and determine which one would add the greatest value to ACS’s business

CLOSING CASE ONEFighting Cancer with Information

4. Describe the benefits ACS could gain from using analytical CRM

5. Summarize SRM and describe how ACS could use it to increase efficiency in its business

CLOSING CASE TWOCalling All Canadians

1. What are the two different types of CRM and how can they be used to help an organization gain a competitive advantage?

2. Explain how a contact center (or call center) can help an organization achieve its CRM goals

3. Describe three ways an organization can perform CRM functions over the Internet

CLOSING CASE TWOCalling All Canadians

4. How will outsourcing contact centers (call centers) to Canada change as future CRM technologies replace current CRM technologies?

CLOSING CASE THREEThe Ritz-Carlton

1. What are the two different types of CRM and how has the Ritz-Carlton used them to become a world-class customer-service business?

2. Determine which of Ritz-Carlton’s six steps of customer service is the most important for its business

3. Rank Ritz-Carlton’s six steps of customer service in order of greatest to least importance in a CRM strategy for an online book-selling business such as Amazon.com

CLOSING CASE THREEThe Ritz-Carlton

4. Describe three ways Ritz-Carlton can extend its customer reach by performing CRM functions over the Internet

5. What benefits could the Ritz-Carlton gain from using analytical CRM?

6. Explain ERM and describe how the Ritz-Carlton could use it to increase efficiency in its business

CHAPTER 10

ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING AND COLLABORATION SYSTEMS

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSCampus ERP

1. How could core ERP components help improve business operations at your college?

2. How could extended ERP components help improve business operations at your college?

3. How can integrating SCM, CRM, and ERP help improve business operations at your college?

4. Review the different components in Figure 10.14. Which component would you recommend your college implement if it decided to purchase an ERP component?


1. How can a college campus achieve business success through the use of collaboration tools?

2. How can your college use knowledge management systems to improve operations?

3. How can your college use content management systems to improve operations?


4. How can a team of college students use a workflow management system to complete a group project?

5. If your college wanted to implement a groupware system, what would be its primary purpose?

CLOSING CASE ONEDreamWorks

1. How can companies use Halo to increase their business efficiency?

2. Explain how a company like PepsiCo can use Halo to gain a competitive advantage in its industry

3. How can knowledge management be increased by using a product such as Halo?

CLOSING CASE ONEDreamWorks

4. Why would a company like DreamWorks, that is not IT focused, be interested in collaboration technology?

5. What are a few of the security issues surrounding this type of technology?

CLOSING CASE TWOHighway Safety

1. How are collaboration tools helping to save lives in Texas?

2. How could a police department use groupware to help with collaboration on accident reports?

3. Describe how a police department could use workflow systems to help with accident reports and health-care-related issues

CLOSING CASE TWOHighway Safety

4. What would be the impact on lives if a state fails to implement collaboration tools to help track and analyze highway accidents?

5. How could police departments use wireless technologies to operate more efficiently and effectively?

6. What ethical issues surrounding wireless technologies should police departments understand?

CLOSING CASE THREESaving Costs at Costco

1. Identify content management and document management and explain how Costco is using them to improve business operations

2. Provide an example of a few of the documents that Costco must maintain electronically

3. How might other Costco departments benefit from a document management system?

4. The Stellent Imaging and Business Process Management solution allowed Costco to grow as a company without increasing expenses. Identify another business that could benefit form the Stellent Imaging and Business Process Management Solution

CHAPTER 11

SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSHP’s Software Problems

1. Identify the business benefits associated with successful software development for HP

2. Which of the seven phases of the systems development life cycle is most important to HP?

3. Which of the seven phases of the systems development life cycle is least important to HP?

4. Which of the different software development methodologies should HP use to implement successful systems?

5. Explain what might happen if HP used the waterfall methodology to develop its ERP system

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSHP’s Software Problems

6. Describe the different types of feasibility studies and explain how HP could use a technical feasibility study to avoid software development failure

7. Review the buy versus build decision and explain why HP chose to buy its ERP system

8. Why is testing critical to HP’s software development process?

9. Identify the primary reasons for software project failure and explain which ones HP experienced on its ERP build

CLOSING CASE ONEDenver International Airport

1. One of the problems with DIA’s baggage system was inadequate testing. Describe the different types of tests DIA could have used to help ensure its baggage system’s success

2. Evaluate the different implementation approaches. Which one would have most significantly increased the chances of the project’s success?

3. Explain the cost of finding errors. How could more time spent in the analysis and design phase have saved Colorado taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars?

4. Why could BAE not take an existing IT infrastructure and simply increase its scale and expect it to work?

CLOSING CASE TWOReducing Ambiguity

1. Why are ambiguous business requirements the leading cause of system development failures?

2. Why do the words “and” and “or” tend to lead to ambiguous requirements?

3. Research the Web and determine other reasons for “bad” business requirements

4. What is wrong with the following business requirement: “The system must support employee birthdays since every employee always has a birthday every year”

CLOSING CASE THREEGearing Up at REI

1. What business benefits did REI receive by developing its successful CRM system?

2. Identify the potential issues facing REI if it failed to implement a successful SCM system

3. List and describe the seven phases of the SDLC and rank them in order of importance to REI’s system development efforts

CLOSING CASE THREEGearing Up at REI

4. Summarize the different software development methodologies and recommend one for REI to follow

5. Describe the analysis phase of systems development along with its importance for successful system development efforts for REI

6. Explain the importance of the testing phase along with three different tests REI should perform on each new system

CHAPTER 12

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OUTSOURCING

OPENING CASE QUESTIONSChange at Toyota

1. What would be the impact on Toyota’s business if it failed to implement a project management solution and managed its projects using a myriad of spreadsheets and Word documents?

2. Why would Opportunity, Resources, and Time & Expense Manager applications be of value to a company like Toyota?

3. Why would Toyota find it important to focus on implementing good project management techniques?

4. Why are project management, change management, and risk management critical to a global company such as Toyota?


5. Why would Toyota find it important to focus on implementing solid risk management techniques?

6. Why would Toyota find it important to focus on implementing solid change management techniques?

7. Describe the ramifications to Toyota’s business if it failed to anticipate change

8. Explain the potential issues facing Toyota if it failed to analyze risk


9. How could Toyota benefit from outsourcing?

10. If you had to choose a country to recommend for outsourcing, which country would it be and why?

11. Explain the issues facing Toyota from its internal IT department if it decided to outsource the project management of the development of a new system


12. What types of ethical issues might Toyota encounter when considering outsourcing?

13. What types of security issues might Toyota encounter when considering outsourcing?

CLOSING CASE ONEToronto Transit

1. Describe Gantt charts and explain how TTC could use one to communicate project status

2. Describe PERT charts and explain how TTC could use one to communicate project status

3. How could TTC use its Master Schedule to gain efficiencies in its supply chain?

4. How could TTC use its Master Schedule to identify change management and risk management issues?

CLOSING CASE TWOCircuit City

4. What are some of the potential risks facing Circuit City’s new business model?

5. Why would Opportunity, Resource, and Time & Expense applications be of value to a company like Circuit City?

6. Why would Circuit City benefit from implementing good risk management and change management techniques?

CLOSING CASE THREEOutsourcing Brew

1. Describe an alternative approach that Coors could have used instead of outsourcing to EDS

2. What would be the advantages of offshore outsourcing Coors’ IT department?

3. What are some other reasons Coors outsourced its information technology functions that were not mentioned in the case?

4. Describe some of the factors causing Coors to be “forced” to outsource its information technology functions

bus 188 cases fall 2007 mike splane. chapter 1 information systems in business

Documents

business slide

apples business

closing case

new technology slide

business intelligence

innovative business

apple address

home depots business